Thankfully, I spent, at least, some of the last six months reading some great books. And in an effort to look back on those reading experiences (and give my favorites a little hype), I decided to post this list of my top ten reads of the year — so far. So, sit back and get ready to discover some great books!

What places this book on my list is its sheer potential. This amazing world and its denizens have a solid foundation upon which a grand story can be told. And while book one was a bit uneventful after an amazing beginning, I’m betting McKinley puts it all together in the second novel.

As I always say, you either appreciate Salvatore’s sword and sorcery books, or you don’t. I, for one, enjoy experiencing some fun daring-do in a familiar fantasy land like the Forgotten Realms from time to time, and if you want to escape reality and just enjoy a fun, sugar-coated sword and sorcery tale, there isn’t anything wrong with the Drizzt series.
Buy Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf (Forgotten Realms: Companions Codex) at Amazon.

This was a book that collapsed under its hype. Yes, it was a fine fantasy read. Sure, there were a couple memorable characters. Yeah, Abercrombie turned the traditional fantasy tropes on their hands. But it just wasn’t that overwhelming to me. I’d still encourage others to give it a try, just don’t go into it thinking you’re about to experience the next Lord of the Rings, because you aren’t.

A sequel that exceeds its predecessor in almost every respect, Storm and Steel is a good, old-fashioned, sword and sorcery tour de force that perfectly mixes a sweeping fantasy world with non-stop action. It might not reinvent the fantasy wheel, but it definitely uses the familiar in a manner that never fails to entertain.

Okay, this is another book that you either like, or you don’t. Naturally, I fall into the “like” category. My reason for really enjoying Hearne’s entry into the Star Wars canon is his stellar portrayal of the young Luke Skywalker. As a kid growing up when the original movie trilogy was released, I was a Luke Skywalker fan, finding in him a mirror of myself: naïve, wet-behind-the-ears country boy, and Hearne reminded me of why I always loved this Skywalker .

This is another entry into the crowded urban fantasy genre. Here we have a supernaturally powered hero (Here our ex-cop and current private investigator is a weremyste!) who finds himself stumbling into ever increasing trouble with the shadowy side of reality that normal people don’t even know exists. And while Spell Blind might remind UF junkies of other series out there, for a relative newbie like myself this one was a real pleasure to read.

A novel that took me completely by surprise. I was expecting a typical grimdark and discovered that Mr. Scull had concocted something even better: A grimdark that was fun. I know that sounds ridiculous, but give this one a try and you will see exactly what I am talking about.

Another series that had all the hype. I’d heard nothing but amazing tales of how absolutely awesome this book was before I finally broke down and tried it, but while other novels crumbled under my high expectations, this one didn’t. Yeah, it started out fairly slow, but eventually the main characters sucked me into this world and had me hanging on the edge of my seat as I was mesmerized by the twists and turns as well as the amazing allomancy fights.

After a lifetime of being a Star Wars fan, it takes a lot for a novel in this series to blow me away, but Lords of the Sith did. Mr. Kemp delivering the perfect mixture of Anakin angst, Vader violence, and Emperor machinations to keep me riveted to my e-reader throughout this fast-paced adventure.

After reading this one, I quickly declared it my frontrunner for best book of 2015, and so far, nothing has changed has my mind. Mixing swashbuckling fun with Game of Thrones-like deception and destruction, this second installment of the Greatcoats series is, by far, the best novel that I have read this year!